The U.S. Is Getting Its First National LGBT Monument And We're Stoked
It's about time.
In June 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage.
Many Americans were shaking their heads, but the majority celebrated because it was a huge victory for equality and basic human rights. The ability for same-sex couples to marry obviously should've been legal all along, but sometimes people are a little slow accepting the differences of others and not persecuting them for those differences.
But good news! America is making another great leap forward in terms of LGBTQ equality. The Stonewall Inn, a famous bar located in Greenwich Village in New York City and the birthplace of the LGBT-rights movement, is going to officially become a national monument.
The Stonewall Inn will be the first national monument to commemorate the LGBT rights movement.
President Obama himself plans to officially name the bar a national monument. Not only is this fantastic news to the LGBT community and people everywhere who care about actually being treated like people, it's great news for the bar itself and its patrons.
In June 2015, the Stonewall Inn was "formally voted for landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission."
The Stonewall Inn has a very important place in history "as the birthplace of LGBT rights."
It's basically recognized as inspiring all those who have crusaded for LGBT rights in the last four-five decades. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a well-known gay bar even at the time. Though the bar was serving liquor without a license, the raid was just another event in a string of the anti-gay NYPD targeting gay people and gay establishments.
Fed up with the continuous, oppressive anti-gay police action, members of the LGBT community responded with a series of chaotic, violent demonstrations that came to be known as the Stonewall Riots.
Obama first mentioned the Stonewall Inn during his 2013 inaugural address, and he plans to personally cement the establishment's place in the history of equality.
According to "two individuals familiar with the administration's plans," the site will definitely be the first National LGBT rights monument. Proposals for the monument also include "cordoning off Christopher Park, a small sliver of land near Stonewall Inn, and surrounding areas." Obama plans to make it official by June, LGBT Pride Month.
This is another major step forward for equality in the US.
We've still got a ways to go as far as creating more tolerant attitudes and treating all people like actual people, but at least this is legitimate progress in terms of visibility for the LGBT community. LGBT people in this nation are still being discriminated against and are still being killed for who they are. It's horrifically sad.
It's also shocking that this is the first national monument for LGBT rights, but better late than never. Hopefully there will be many more national monument to come. We approve, Obama. 👍